New Amsterdam vodka

New Amsterdam’s gin made quite a splash when introduced six years ago. Now the California distillery hopes to capture the more lucrative vodka market with a spirit turned to the casual, 20-something crowd.

Their gin cranked down the potent juniper flavor that frightens novices. New Amsterdam’s vodka runs through the coils five times and charcoal filtering twice, creating a clean, clear spirit offering little nuance—just the sort of thing favored by mixed drink fans.

The more a vodka is distilled and filtered, the more character evaporates into thin air. But modern, high end labels thrive on smoothed out flavors and pretty bottled. And so New Amsterdam shows little on the nose other than sweet grain and salt marsh notes.

Not that a genre belittled as “odorless, colorless and tastless” offers much to work with as a rule.

Still, brands like XO and Monopolowa manage to craft subtle layers into their vodkas. New Amsterdam opens on the palate with just a hint of soft, sweet grain before the noble sting of alcohol takes over.

The finish is more potent than the initial brush, but the overall impression is soft grain and washed out character—which makes it an honest brand. You can purchase a bottle for a fraction of the price of Grey Goose, an equally blanked out, over-distilled product.

Given the choice, New Amsterdam makes sense.